Featuring inch-thick bulletproof glass, a quick-release rear window for firing at pursuers, and 1300kg of asbestos-wrapped steel armour plating (since removed), the 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan formerly owned by infamous mob boss Al Capone could be yours for a cool US$1M.
Being offered by Celebrity Cars Las Vegas with the seven-figure price tag, the Cadillac was last sold in 2012 at RM Sotheby’s for a much lower US$341K sum — it doesn’t appear to have undergone significant restoration in the intervening time.
It’s believed to be the oldest surviving bulletproof vehicle today and even includes heavy spring-lift-operated side windows that were rigged to rise higher than usual to reveal a circular cut out big enough for the muzzle of a machine gun. Powered by a Series 341-A 341ci L-head V8, it packs a monstrous 90hp and was backed by a three-speed manual. The car uses four-wheel mechanical drum brakes, and the front end is sprung using a beam-axle set-up, while the rear is full-floating with semi-elliptical leaf springs. Despite its age, the Cadillac only has 1111 miles on the odometer, thanks to having spent much of its history in museums or on display at carnivals and amusement parks.
The car flew under the feds’ radar after being hidden in a known associate’s Chicago garage when Capone slid into legal troubles leading up to his eventual felony conviction and jail time. The sedan has a long and well-documented history that saw it travel around the country and eventually to England before returning via Canada. Collector John O’Quinn purchased it for US$621,500 in 2006 before dying a few years later. It wouldn’t sell again until the 2012 sale.
Capone was convicted of tax evasion and prohibition charges in 1931 and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. He died of a stroke and pneumonia in 1947.
